European budget airlines are actively preparing to return to the Ukrainian aviation market immediately after the signing of a peace agreement and the reopening of airspace. Low-cost carriers anticipate a rapid increase in demand for air travel, driven by the onset of large-scale reconstruction in the country, the return of Ukrainians home, and the emergence of a phenomenon known as “disaster tourism” — when travelers visit regions that have experienced war or natural disasters.
This is reported by Business • Media
Airlines’ Strategies for Returning to the Ukrainian Market
Wizz Air plans to deploy 15 aircraft for flights to Ukraine within the first two years after the end of hostilities, with a vision to increase this fleet to 50 aircraft over the next seven years. Ryanair has stated that it is ready to resume flights to Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa just two weeks after the signing of the peace agreement.
“European budget airlines are preparing to return to the Ukrainian market immediately after the signing of the peace agreement and the reopening of airspace,” the statement noted.
Prospects for Passenger Traffic Growth
Before the full-scale war, Wizz Air was the largest foreign carrier in Ukraine: in 2021, the company operated over 5,000 flights and ranked among the top three market leaders. The year 2019 was a record year for the Ukrainian aviation market, with air traffic reaching around 15 million passengers, while in 2021 it was 10.8 million. Ryanair plans to increase the number of passengers transported from the pre-war figure of 1.5 million to 4 million per year.
EasyJet, which previously did not operate flights to Ukraine, is also considering the possibility of opening new routes after the situation stabilizes.